


Nothin' So Fine As You

by ZsforSs



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Civil War Veteran Thrawn, Cowboy Eli, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I guess this is kinda Hurt Comforty, Illness, Injury, M/M, Scar Pain, Scars, This is set in 1866-1867, Wild West AU, Yes Really, also there's no periodic typical homophobia, because fuck homophobia, but my research was just "hey remember how much you loved playing 'The Oregon Trail'???", everyone's ok though, historically inaccurate historical AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:53:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25703125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZsforSs/pseuds/ZsforSs
Summary: On their way out to California Thrawn and Thrass run into some trouble on the trail.  Luckily friendly cowboy Eli Vanto is there to help.
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Comments: 33
Kudos: 73





	Nothin' So Fine As You

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in under 24 hours while ignoring my pile of WIPs. It made me.

He'd been _fine._

After the war he'd had enough of the military so he'd taken the foot long scar on his leg that ached fiercely in the cold and his limp and the meager pension almost dying for his country had earned him and went back to his childhood home.

Thrass had welcomed him back with open arms and even though he hated the house and the people who had lived there (he refused to call them his parents) it had been _fine._

His days had narrowed down to his room and his books and periodic interruptions from Thrass. (He thanked God every night for whichever Army officer had looked at Thrass- who'd joined up two years before Thrawn- and stuck him at a desk job for the duration of the war. If Thrass had ever seen combat he would have walked into his own bayonet before the Rebels had time to shoot him.) It had been quiet and lonely and suited Thrawn just fine.

But then Thrass had come to him with eyes sparkling like they did when he had a _plan._ He'd been going along with his brother's schemes his whole life, helpless to resist his elder brother's pull.

Thrass had laid it all out, he had collected enough capital and had an insider tip from a friend out in California- if they went west there was a nice piece of land and worlds more opportunities waiting for them.

They just had to go.

“We're fine here.” Thrawn had said.

“We could be _good_ \- _excellent_ maybe- out there.”

“Or we could end up dead.”

Thrass had waved his hand. “Everyone ends up dead eventually.” Thrass said blithely. “...I think it'd be good for you.”

“ _I'm fine._ ” Thrawn insisted.

Thrass had smiled sadly at him. “So never leaving the house or even your room except when I flush out out for meals is 'fine' then?”

When Thrawn hadn't answered Thrass had just sighed. “You don't have to come. I've got enough capital I don't _need_ to sell the house. You could stay here. But I _am_ going Thrawn.”

He'd turned to go, but Thrawn had stopped him with a hand on his arm. “When are we leaving?” Thrawn had asked.

Thrass grinned.

* * *

They'd sold the house and loaded up a wagon with all the worldly possessions they wanted to keep and headed West.

They'd left Independence Missouri with a small wagon train in May. Late in the year, Thrawn thought, but their trail guide didn't seem concerned.

He truly hoped the rest of the wagon train was alright. It had been a week now since they'd left Thrawn and Thrass behind.

He had still been bedridden then, struck by an illness that sapped all his strength and made his head swim.

The rest of the train had been worried his recovery would take too long and trap them in the snow, and feared a spread of the illness, so they had moved on. Truly Thrawn didn't blame them.

He'd mostly recovered now, though he was still weak, and they might have been able to catch up with the train.

Except that three days ago, the first day he'd felt well enough to stand, Thrass had come back from a hunt with a brace of rabbits and a limp that turned out to be a broken leg.

“I tripped.” Thrass had explained as Thrawn set him up in the sickbed Thrawn had so recently vacated. “Over a bush I think.”

“You think?”

“I also hit my head- oh stop with the face, I'm fine.”

And so they sat. Thrawn still too weak to get the wagon moving again, Thrass unable to move. The oxen were fine for now, and they still had food. Thrawn was supplementing with hunting when he could as well.

They'd have to turn back, once they could move. They were somewhere in Northern Nevada, but while Thrawn thought he could get them back to the last outpost they'd passes he had no idea how to get to California from here, even if they could get moving before being snowed in.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Thrawn started from his contemplation, and his jump woke Thrass, who'd been sleeping propped up against his leg.

They shared a look, and Thrawn handed Thrass one of his pistols before going to see who their visitor was. (Thrass had given him a 'what do I do with this?' look but took the gun without comment.)

He saw the horse first. A pretty little Paint filly, regarding him curiously, a rifle strapped to her saddle.

He must have been very distracted to not hear a horse coming.

A young brown-skinned man came around the side of the wagon. “Oh!” he said. “Y'all're home!”

Thrawn considered the man. A cowboy clearly, in a wide brimmed hat, a dark red shirt under a leather vest and dark fitted trousers and boots. He even had a little blue neckerchief. He wasn't armed and was a head shorter than Thrawn.

“Yes?” Thrawn said, unsure how to reply.

The cowboy pulled his hat off, revealing a surprisingly pretty face with wide dark eyes and wild brown hair.

“I saw you hadn't moved along with the rest of the train and figured I should see if you needed a hand.”

“Can you get us to California?”Thrass called from inside the wagon.

The cowboy laughed. “I could actually- if y'all can wait until spring.”

He smiled at Thrawn- it was a nice smile- and then cocked his head to one side. “You alright there pardner?”

The next thing Thrawn knew he was sitting back against one of the wheels, the cowboy wiping his face with the blue neckerchief.

“Y'aren't well are ya?” he asked softly.

“I'm fine,” Thrawn said.

Thrass scoffed loudly from inside the wagon.

The cowboy nodded solemnly. “Right, let's get you back in the wagon yeah?”

* * *

The man's name was Eli Vanto. He was wintering at an empty ranch nearby. He'd been hired to watch over the warm weather ranch through winter while it was unoccupied. He was supposed to have company, another two men hired to stay with him but they'd never arrived.

Eli told them in no uncertain terms they wouldn't make it through the mountain passes before the snow, in fact they had less than a month before the snows reached _here._

But he had plenty of space and supplies to host them through the winter. In return they could keep him company and help him keep the ranch in order once they were well.

It was a generous offer, and one they had little choice but to accept.

Thrawn's head had stopped spinning by the time they'd talked this out so he went with Eli to get the oxen yoked.

This mostly amounted to Thrawn watching as Eli somehow sweet-talked their ornery oxen into behaving with only a bit of hay and some scritches behind the ears.

It was getting dark when they arrived and Eli tasked Thrawn with getting a bed set up for Thrass in their living quarters while Eli saw to getting his horse and the oxen settled.

The cabin they'd be living in was small, the ground floor little more than a tiny sitting area and a kitchen. There was a loft where the beds- straw mattresses with bedrolls spread on top- were.

Thrawn managed to maneuver their own mattress into the cabin and set it up in the sitting area, Then he brought in their bedding and Eli joined them just in time to help Thrass hop into the cabin.

That night they had fresh fish from a nearby stream and real bread that wasn't hard as rock. They'd unload the wagon tomorrow and Eli would give them the tour. After the meal Eli's produced a bottle of whiskey and they'd toasted to a short winter and new friendships.

* * *

The ranch consisted of their cabin a number of other outbuildings, a _tremendous_ amount of fencing they were to keep in good repair, and the barn. A cavernous building, currently only housing Eli's horse Sugar, Thrawn and Thrass' oxen, a few grumpy goats, and a pair of chickens.

For a few days Thrawn and Thrass were mostly useless, but Thrawn grew stronger by the day and soon he was able to help Eli with his chores. Thrass' leg healed slowly but in the small space of the cabin he could hop about and help a bit.

Though he'd been concerned about wintering with a stranger Eli was a kind soul and good company. Soon he and Thrass were joking like old school chums.

Eli didn't seem to mind Thrawn's quieter demeanor though. They'd work side by side all day saying less than a dozen words without issue.

There were times, when they'd wash up in the rain barrel after work or step out onto the tiny porch to watch the stars when Thrawn wanted to speak but he found he couldn't. Eli would still smile at him though, and that was plenty.

* * *

The cold weather came up fast. Thrawn's leg began to ache fiercely most mornings.

One night not long after the first cold night, Eli handed him a small pot of a sharp smelling tincture. “Rub it on your leg, it'll help.”

“What is it?” Thrawn asked.

“Ma's Secret Recipe.” Eli winked. “Jus' try it.”

It did help, his leg would still ached but not as bad. “Your brother said you got it in the War.” Eli said the next day. They'd gone out hunting and were resting by a stream. Eli had waded out into the water but Thrawn had just pulled his boots off to stretch his feet- revealing part of his scar.

“I did.” Thrawn said. “Shrapnel, from an artillery blast. I'm lucky I didn't lose the leg.”

Eli just hummed and came to sit beside him, letting his feet dangle in the water.

“Don't take this the wrong way,” Eli said. “But I'm glad y'all got waylayed where you did. You're good company.”

“As are you,” Thrawn said. Eli blushed and looked up at him all sweet and shy... “I'm glad too.”

He'd been three years in the Army, seeing combat multiple times before his wounding, and had to relearn how to walk after, but it still took all his courage to bend his head toward Eli. Eli tilted his head back and met Thrawn's lips eagerly, his hand clasping Thrawn's tightly.

That night alone in the loft, with Thrass snoring quietly below, Eli had slid into Thrawn's bedroll like he belonged there.

That suited Thrawn just fine.

* * *

Thrass' leg had finally healed, but he kept to his ground floor bed.

“I'm just fine where I am.” Thrass said when Thrawn asked. Then he'd smirked at Thrawn and added. “Besides if I was up there too you'd have a problem. I'm not _that_ heavy a sleeper.”

* * *

The first snow was light, barely covering the ground but everyone knew it was a harbinger of greater things.

“Well you're stuck with us now.” Thrass said as they all stood on the porch watching the dying light reflect off the new snow.

Eli laughed from his spot, wrapped in Thrawn's arms and held snugly back against Thrawn's broad chest. “What a burden.”

* * *

Winter was a long slow slog, only made better by their own good company.

They only left the cabin to check on the animals and occasionally check the fences- repairing what they could and noting what would need fixing in better weather.

Most of the time they stayed in the cabin though, talking about their plans for the spring or playing cards. Eli was an excellent cook and despite the lack of fresh food they ate well.

And at night he and Eli would retreat to the loft. They shared quiet conversations there sometimes, or let their bodies speak for them. Thrawn had never seen anything so beautiful as Eli's bare skin in the firelight. He savored the sight, committing every detail of their liaisons to memory. Winter had only begun and Thrawn was already dreading it's end.

* * *

“Once you get us to Yreka are you staying?” Thrass asked. “We could use someone like you to help us get set up. But I'd understand if you weren't interested. It isn't driving cattle.”

Eli frowned. “I ain't sure really. I'll have to think about it. Cattle's all I've every done really.”

“We'd be glad to have you.” Thrass assured him. “Right Thrawn?”

“Yes.”

That night Thrawn whispered “Stay with me.” into the delicate shell of Eli's ear as they rocked against each other in their bed.

Eli sighed and reached back, gripping Thrawn's hair and tugging as Thrawn came between Eli's lean thighs.

Thrawn sank his teeth into Eli's shoulder as he came, leaving a deep red mark that would surely bruise.

Eli whimpered, trying to stifle his noises as Thrawn reached around him and gripped Eli's cock. Eli came nearly immediately, gasping and pressing his face into Thrawn's hair.

“I love you.” Thrawn whispered.

Eli patted his cheek. “Tell me again when we ain't just fucked.”

* * *

Thrawn bided his time, waiting for the right moment to tell Eli again.

In the end it's not so special an occasion. A few months later they found a hole in the wall of one of the storage buildings and Thrawn and Eli spent a good two days patching the hole and getting the snow out of the building. It's cold, frustrating work but as they're cleaning up, job finally done, the light through a window catches Eli just right and lights him up like he's made of bronze.

“I love you Eli Vanto.”

Eli's eyes go wide and for a moment they just stare at each other before Eli groaned and carded a hand through his hair.

“I'm supposed to just be a cowboy. I'm not supposed to follow some beautiful man and his brother out to start a business in California.”

“But you will?” Thrawn asked.

“Of course I will,” Eli said. “I ain't ever felt like this about anyone else.”

He held out his arms and Thrawn bent to kiss him.

“I love you,” Eli said. “I ain't about to let you go.”

* * *

As the weather warmed Thrass started to get restless, but Eli'd been hired to stay until his replacements arrived. They packed up their wagon though, and stepped up their hunting to supplement their supplies, smoking the meat to keep it good for the rest of their trip. That and mending all the fences around the ranch kept them plenty busy.

It's early March when Eli's replacements, including the ranch's owner, arrived. Thrawn was worried the owner would be upset at them for wintering there, but he seemed relieved that Eli hadn't been alone the whole time.

He was less thrilled that Thrawn and Thrass were taking Eli with them. But Eli wouldn't be moved on the matter.

They left a few days later, Eli's meager possessions added to the wagon and Eli leading the way on Sugar.

Eli's guidance was invaluable and two months later Eli stops them on the crest of a hill.

“We're here.” he said, pointing down into the valley below.

Thrass looked nervous, planning all this out was one thing, but being here and making it happen was another. Eli looked uncertain too, the challenge before them was equally new to him. Thrawn wasn't much concerned. He trusted the both of them to succeed in this, their tenacity would carry them through and he would be there to help.

With his two favorite people beside him and an adventure ahead Thrawn smiled.

“Looks mighty fine.” he said and urged the oxen on.


End file.
